6.
Marin blinked rapidly, staring at Olive.
“I—I think there’s been a mistake.”
Startled, Marin stammered, pointing a finger at the line where the 1 gold wage was written. *Please, let it be a typo.*
“No. There is no mistake.”
“O-oh, did I say that out loud?”
Flustered, she clamped a hand over her mouth.
“Pardon?”
Olive looked at her with a confused expression. Marin offered an awkward, tight-lipped smile to gloss over her outburst.
“It’s nothing. Is the wage really 1 gold per week?”
“Yes, that’s right. Miss Marin, you are in a specialized position.”
“A specialized position?”
“Indeed. Those in the Duke’s estate who hold specialized positions receive higher compensation. I have set your wage to match what those individuals earned upon their initial hiring.”
A warm, radiant glow seemed to settle on Olive’s face as he explained.
“A specialized position…” Marin murmured to herself.
Several characters from the novel flashed through her mind: the Duke’s shadow, Kay; the estate blacksmith, Surenne; and the alchemist, Zero.
“Now, if you could just read through—.”
“Should I sign here?”
Cutting him off, she pointed impatiently to the signature line.
“Are you quite sure you’ve read it all? It would be best to check everything thoroughly,” Olive advised, his expression etched with concern.
“Yes, yes. I’ve read it all. I want to sign. Very quickly, I’d like to sign right now.”
She didn’t need Olive’s caution; the gravitational pull of 1 gold was far too strong.
“Very well. I have marked the duration as temporary for now, but you will soon transition to a permanent employee. Keep up the good work.”
Olive cheered her on, his tone bright and comforting.
“Yes! I’ll do my best!”
Even though the word “temporary” was music to her ears, she chimed in with feigned enthusiasm. In truth, she had no intention of becoming a permanent fixture. Her goal was to vanish just before the female lead appeared.
Once the Duke met her, his sight would be restored. Naturally, he would no longer have any use for a reader by his side. Besides, protagonists were dangerous company; she had no desire to be scorched by the sparks flying between them. Her only goal was a quiet life with her mother.
Her gaze remained locked on the figure of 1 gold. One gold a week meant four gold a month—a lucrative, perfect arrangement. If she saved diligently, she could live comfortably for years. Once her mother’s health recovered, they would move to a smaller territory, cultivate a vegetable garden, and she would find work at a local general store.
Imagining that happy future, Marin hurriedly signed the contract.
***
Marin returned home carrying the books and the picnic basket Olive had packed for her.
“Mom! I’m coming in!”
Excited, Marin didn’t bother to knock, announcing her arrival with a loud voice as she struggled with her heavy load.
Sitting propped against the headboard, Roanna was staring vacantly out the window.
“Marin.”
Roanna turned her head slowly, a pale, weary smile gracing her lips.
“I’m home, Mom. I’m sorry I couldn’t be here to read to you.”
“It’s quite alright. Don’t worry yourself.”
Marin glanced at the bedside table. The watery soup remained untouched, now cold and unappetizing. Ignoring it, she set the picnic basket onto the table with a triumphant flourish.
“Mom, look at this.”
She opened the basket. Inside sat roast chicken, still radiating a faint warmth; sandwiches spread with tangy strawberry jam; others layered with savory eggs and thick ham; and banana muffins and chocolate cookies that filled the room with a sweet, rich aroma.
She laid the feast out on the bed, piece by piece.
Instead of rejoicing at the sight of proper food, Roanna turned pale, her eyes wide with fear.
“What is all this?”
Marin pressed a chocolate cookie, studded with large, dark chips, into her mother’s small, thin palm. Because chocolate was a luxury for the nobility, it was a delight they hadn’t tasted since their family’s ruin.
“It’s been a while, hasn’t it? You used to love these.”
Looking down at the treat, Roanna’s expression softened into a faint, melancholy smile.
“You were the one who loved them more.”
“Was I? Hehe.” Marin scratched the back of her head and giggled.
“Marin.”
Roanna’s eyes filled with a mix of sorrow and mounting dread. “Where did all this come from? Is it… like last time?”
“No, absolutely not. Don’t worry. I’ll never have to deal with that trash again.”
She had once worked briefly for a family that had been friends with her father, and the resulting trauma had sent her mother’s health into a downward spiral. Roanna blamed herself for her daughter’s hardship, and Marin vowed never to repeat that mistake.
“…”
Roanna waited silently for the truth.
“Mom, please listen without getting upset.”
“That makes it sound all the more frightening.”
Marin didn’t hesitate. “I got a job at the Duke’s estate. They gave me this as a congratulatory gift to bring home.”
“The Duke’s estate? Surely, you don’t mean Duke Vines’ estate?”
“Yes.” Marin nodded proudly.
*‘Vines protects.’* Everyone in the west praised the house of Duke Vines.
“My goodness! That is wonderful! If it is the Duke’s estate, you can trust them. It is the great Duke Vines, after all.”
A flush of color returned to Roanna’s cheeks.
“Of course. It’s that family. So, Mom, don’t worry about me. Just get better quickly. I signed an employment contract. I’ll earn plenty of money, and we’ll live happily.”
“Oh, God, thank you. Thank you,” Roanna folded her hands, offering a prayer. It had been a long time since she had sought the divine.
“But Mom, I have a confession.”
“Tell me.”
“I lied to His Grace. I told him I was a commoner.”
“…You must have had a reason, surely?” Roanna asked, her expression darkening.
“I wouldn’t have been hired if I’d revealed my status. There are countless noble ladies who approach him with impure intentions. If he knew who I really was, he would have assumed I was just another one of them.”
Roanna nodded slowly. It was true; the extreme behavior of the local ladies was notorious. One had even stalked the Duke and broken into his private quarters. It was a perfectly reasonable excuse for the Duke to keep women at a distance.
“Still, it worries me that you are deceiving the Duke’s estate.”
“Don’t worry too much. As soon as I earn enough for the two of us, I’ll quit immediately.”
“Very well. I trust you, my daughter.”
Marin felt a sudden sting in her nose, so she turned away and stood up.
“I ate plenty. You must chew slowly, Mom. I’ll go get a cup of warm water.”
“Thank you.”
Having set her worries aside, Roanna picked up a banana muffin, her eyes bright with expectation.
Marin headed to the kitchen to boil the kettle. Seeing her mother so happy over a single muffin only steeled her resolve.
“When I get my first paycheck, I’ll buy a bottle of wine.”
Before the ruin, her mother had always enjoyed a glass of warm wine before bed. Marin hung the kettle over the hearth and leaned her back against the wall.
*Even if it’s only temporary, I just need to last for six months! I must hold onto this position at all costs! I can do it!*
Marin vowed, her eyes burning with determination.